Losses

It's been a rough week or so around here.

Okra, was overdue with her kids and upon exampination by the vet, it was determined we needed to to get the kids out. It was a rough kidding and at first Okra looked to be doing okay. But she slowly began to go downhill about 36 hours afterward. Despite our best efforts and the super-human efforts of our vet, Okra died eight days later from milk-fever and birthing complications. Her two orphan doelings (Fortuitous and Loki) are doing very well, for which we are very thankful.

On that same day, Samanth's six week old doeling also died. When "Anna" was born her mother rejected her, so we had nursed her along and convinced her mom to take her back. We believe that there was something "wrong" with little Anna from birth and it eventually caught up to her.

Two days later one of Abby's calves started coughing. Another visit from the vet, but again, all of our efforts were in vain and Frank Flank died of pnuemonia.

And while I admit to being a little more than frustrated after losing Frank, in reality we've had a good kidding season: Lots of healthy doelings, some really awesome looking bucklings, and our dams are producing a ton of milk.

Our kidding will take a bit of a break with the last two does not due until the end of April. We're praying for winter to end soon and warmer weather to clear out the gloom and damp.